Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi

Librettist

Biography

Italian librettist Vittorio Amedeo Cigna-Santi (c1730–c95) was principal librettist for Teatro Regio, Turin, for nearly thirty years in the second half of the 18th century. He is best known today for his libretto Mitridate, re di Ponto, written for Turin and later set by Mozart for Milan.

Little is known about Cigna-Santi’s early life. He was appointed to his position in Turin in 1754. Many of his original librettos for the theatre enjoyed success elsewhere – most notably his libretto Motezuma, originally set by Majo for Turin in 1765, and in the following 16 years set by Myslivecek, Paisiello, Galuppi, Sacchini, Anfossi, Insanguine and Zingarelli.

Cigna-Santi was nominated a poeta della società of the Cavalieri in 1777.